Latest news with #BeirutInternationalWomenFilmFestival
Broadcast Pro
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
‘Thank You For Banking With Us!' wins top honours at Malmö and Beirut Festivals
The film, directed by Laila Abbas, is an incisive portrayal of two sisters navigating the complexities of patriarchal laws and the broader political tensions of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The Palestinian film Thank You For Banking With Us! has grabbed major awards on the international festival circuit, earning Best Screenwriter for filmmaker Laila Abbas at the Malmö Arab Film Festival and Best Fiction Feature at the Beirut International Women Film Festival in Lebanon. Written, directed and produced by Abbas through her Ramallah-based company Young Oak Productions, the film is a joint German-Palestinian production that delves into themes of female empowerment and familial struggle. It follows the story of sisters Mariam and Noura, who, after the death of their father, hatch a plan to claim a large inheritance, determined to bypass their brother's legal claim to half of the estate. Laila Abbas describes the film as a tribute to the strength of womanhood and the power of solidarity among women. 'It's a story about sisters who, having endured their own tragedies and heartbreaks, come together to become stronger,' she said. Thank You For Banking With Us! is co-produced by Hanna Atallah of Palestine Cinema Days and Roshanak Behesht Nedjad of Berlin's In Good Company Films. International sales and distribution are handled by MAD World, while MAD Solutions and Lagoonie Film Production—based in Cairo and Riyadh—are also on board as co-producers. The project has garnered substantial support throughout its development. It received four $10,000 grants from ART, Cedars Productions, O Three Productions and Metafora through the El Gouna Film Festival in 2018. It also won the In-Development Award from the CineGouna Platform and secured backing from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Doha Film Institute's Qumra 2023 initiative, and various German film funds, including Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. Additionally, it benefited from the Hubert Bals Plus Europe fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and was among the recipients of the Red Sea Fund's third cycle.
Broadcast Pro
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Sabrine Khoury's ‘The Miracle of Life' to premiere at Beirut Int'l Women Film
A joint production between Palestine and the Netherlands, the film is written, directed and edited by Sabrine Khoury. Sabrine Khoury's short experimental documentary The Miracle of Life is set to make its world premiere at the eighth Beirut International Women Film Festival, competing in the Short Experimental category from April 27 to May 3. This marks the film's debut on the international festival circuit. The film intimately chronicles the emotional and physical experiences of a Palestinian woman living in the Netherlands as she prepares for motherhood. Through personal reflections, the protagonist navigates anxiety, bodily transformation and a profound identity crisis, all while pushing back against societal expectations of pregnancy and motherhood. Set during the Gaza War, the woman's internal turmoil is deepened by the external conflict, giving voice to a multi-layered narrative of personal and political significance. Khoury, who both wrote and directed the film, revealed that her own pregnancy in September 2023 inspired the work. 'It was a planned pregnancy, and I was happy and excited about this new journey; however, that joy was overshadowed by pain and questions,' she shared. 'This film is born from these intense and conflicting emotions. It seeks to explore the complex realities of pregnancy and motherhood against the backdrop of the war in Gaza while questioning the legitimacy of my own feelings. I truly hope to honour the resilience and strength of women navigating these profound experiences.' A joint Palestinian-Dutch production, The Miracle of Life was produced by Nawl Productions and features cinematography by Rashed Rashed, music by Maen El Ghoul, and sound design by Sami Merib. Khoury also served as editor. MAD World is handling worldwide sales, while MAD Distribution oversees its release in the Arab region. Born in Canada, Khoury later returned to her hometown of Nazareth, Palestine, and currently resides in the Netherlands, where she continues her work as a filmmaker and producer.
